Is Hormone Therapy Beneficial for Women with Known CAD?

A compelling reason for postmenopausal women to consider hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is to reduce their risk for coronary artery disease. However, the supporting evidence is derived primarily from nonrandomized observational studies, which may have been biased if healthier women chose to take HRT. This blinded multicenter trial evaluated the effects of daily estrogen (0.625 mg) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (2.5 mg) against placebo in 2,763 randomized, postmenopausal women (mean age, 67 years) with known coronary disease and an intact uterus.

During an average follow-up of four years, hormone therapy had a beneficial effect on lipid levels, but cardiovascular outcomes between the two groups did not differ overall. Women receiving HR…